Joe Cerniglia, a New Jersey chef who was featured on season 1 of Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares, was found dead, floating in the Hudson River around 3p.m. on Friday.
Police responded to a 911 call after a witness reported seeing someone jump from the George Washington bridge. At this point, Cerniglia’s death is being treated as a suicide.
Cerniglia, 39, was the owner of Campania in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, which got a scathing review from Ramsey – who excoriated the chef for his “bland” cooking and wasteful ways.
During the show, Cerniglia was depicted as stressed-out businessman who owed $80,000 to his suppliers.
“I am financially in trouble,” he said. “The debt of this restaurant alone is overwhelming…My personal debt: wife, kids, mortgage – that’s a lot of debt.”
Joe Cerniglia is survived by his wife Melissa and 3 young sons.
View video from Kitchen Nightmares below: